Cycling in Waterloo Region

[danbrotherston]

Cyclist struck by vehicle at Kitchener roundabout

Ottawa Street South and Homer Watson Boulevard.

I regularly cycle through this roundabout. You have to be very careful because cars exit the roundabout at high speed. Once a driver saw me at the last second and came to a screeching halt, though I had seen him and was prepared to let him pass before crossing. Though there are signs that say stop for pedestrians (nothing about cyclists), one cannot assume that the drivers have seen you and will stop.

My spouse used to cycle through this intersection often and has no shortage of 'close calls'. Over time and trying different things, he found that he had less (not none, but less) close calls if he took the lane and cycled through the roundabout as opposed to acting like a pedestrian and crossing at each section. Of course, not many people feel comfortable (understandably) in doing that. Fortunately we moved and it's no longer an issue for us, but clearly it's still a problem.

My partner Tessa was struck by a vehicle nearby (at the highway ramp) while walking home from work one night.

She was looking for a new job the next week...

The area is beyond pedestrian unfriendly, it is downright dangerous, and our engineers should be held responsible.